"In Midlife Cognitive Decline, Roles Of Estrogen, Testosterone Remain Unclear" - Regina Shaffer
For men and women entering midlife, changes in cognitive function can be a natural part of aging. Among Americans aged at least 45 years who were surveyed in the CDC’s 2015 and 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 11 percent said they were experiencing a decline in memory function or mental decline, with half of those reporting limitations in performing daily tasks. In men, serum levels of total and bioavailable testosterone gradually decline with age, and these decreases are associated with reductions in muscle mass, osteoporosis, diminished sexual activity and changes in cognition, according to Ronald Tamler, MD, professor of endocrinology, diabetes and bone disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. However, cognitive decline can often overlap with psychological changes, such as dysphoria and depression, making a link between testosterone level and cognition less clear, he said. At this point, it looks like correlation, but not causation,” Dr. Tamler said. “We get older and our memory declines. We get older and our testosterone declines. But testosterone supplementation is not a fountain of cognitive youth for memory impairment.”
- Ronald Tamler, MD, Professor, Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Digital Health Implementation, Mount Sinai Health System